Work

Seattle may mandate “secure scheduling” for workers

SEATTLE - Seattle leaders have proposed new rules for
retail and food-service businesses with hourly employees, including requiring
them to schedule shifts two weeks in advance and compensate workers for some
last-minute changes -- the latest push by a city that has led the nation in mandating
worker benefits.

Seattle was among the first to phase in a $15 hourly minimum
wage, mandate sick leave for many companies and offer paid parental leave for
city workers.

Now, the mayor, city officials and labor-backed groups are
targeting erratic schedules and fluctuating hours they say make it difficult
for people to juggle child care, school or other jobs, to count on stable
income or to plan for the future.

Seattle’s “secure scheduling” proposal also would
require retail and fast-food companies with 500 employees globally to
compensate workers with “predictability pay” when they’re scheduled
but don’t get called into work or are sent home early; provide a minimum 10
hours rest between open and closing shifts; and offer hours to existing
employees before hiring new staff.

“Creating equity in Seattle means providing workers with
access to a reliable schedule that meets their life and financial needs, while
balancing the daily realities facing large employers,” Mayor Ed Murray
said earlier this month.

In 2014, San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to pass
similar legislation. A District of Columbia bill requiring 14-day scheduling
notice advanced out of a council committee in June but has yet to be taken up
by the full council. A November ballot measure before San Jose, California,
voters would require businesses to offer additional hours to existing part-time
employees before hiring new staff.

The Washington Retail Association and other businesses have
criticized the Seattle proposal, saying many employers already provide advance
scheduling notice. They say the measure is too restrictive and will create more
problems for workers.

“It will wipe out the scheduling flexibility that benefits
both employees and employers,” said Jan Teague, association president. If
store managers can’t add to labor costs to cover the predictability pay,
they’ll operate with fewer employees or fewer hours when someone can’t make it
into work, she said.

Others say they want to see changes to some provisions, such as
ensuring employers aren’t penalized for offering shifts directly to workers who
want them.

Across the country, companies have faced increasing pressure to
make schedules more predictable. Last month, Walmart (WMT) launched a new scheduling
system to give thousands of hourly employees more certainty about their hours.

The sponsors of Seattle’s ordinance say it’s as much about
closing the city’s income gap as giving entry-level workers, many of whom are
women and minorities, more control over schedules. Median household income,
housing prices and rents have soared in booming Seattle as the city has grown
to about 687,000 and added about 50,000 tech and other jobs in five years.

“We want this to be a city where our workforce, the people
who are keeping this place running, can afford to live here,” said
Councilwoman Lisa Herbold, a bill sponsor. “When people have more secure
hours, they can do things that make the city more affordable, such as holding
down a second job or going to school so they can get a better job.”

Crystal Thompson, who works at Domino’s Pizza (DPZ), often scrambles to find
child care when she gets her schedule one day before the work week begins. The
short notice makes it difficult to plan her life.

Oliver Savage, 22, a Starbucks (SBUX) barista, said he has
asked to work 30 hours but currently gets 20. For a period this summer, a
previous store manager scheduled him for only eight hours, reducing his one
source of income. He said the store hired a new barista during that time, so he
supports the provision requiring current workers be offered hours before
additional staff is hired.

Jennifer England, who owns a Subway franchise, said she works
with her three employees to accommodate their scheduling needs. She said she
won’t be able to pay extra for last-minute shift changes if a worker wants time
off or calls in sick.

“They’re making it harder for us to schedule, and if
anything comes up,” she said, “we’re going to be penalized, and we can’t afford
that.”

The bill exempts companies whose employees are covered by a
collective bargaining agreement with similar scheduling provisions.